The Choice
by Couragefan09
Summary: When Shirley needs a place to stay for the night, Courage offers her the attic. Unfortunately, a few choice insults from his computer causes her to curse the machine into the form of a dog. To him, the curse is far more of a blessing since it gives him the freedom to do as he pleases. The only way to end the curse is to fall in love, but he doesn't have to worry about that...right?
1. The Curse

A/N: Well, this is the first shipping fic I've done in awhile that's entirely focused around the romance aspect right from the start. It's become a bit of a regret of mine that I was not honest with myself about what I wanted from All Things End for so long, so I'm going all in with this. In all honesty, this story is actually a bit of a retool of a very old and long deleted fan fic of mine. I wanted to challenge myself and reboot the concept in a way that actually works this time. We will have to see how this goes. I also want to keep the chapters for this shorter than what's normal for me and keep the scale much smaller compared to ATE. All in all, I want this to be a lighter story to write. Just something fun to work on in between ATE chapters.

Just to address one thing though. A decent amount of harassment back in the day got me to stop writing this pairing for a long time, but it feels like things have changed quite a bit since then and certain people are less likely to jump down your throat for writing 'gay stuff', especially when it comes to an 'out there' pairing like this. So, I'll just make this clear. I'm looong past the point of letting any shitty comments stop me from writing what I want to write. So if you're going to wander in here and complain, just remember that you've got several sites worth of fan fiction to read. If you don't like this pairing, you do you and find something else to read. Aside from that, as always, I don't write explicit content, so if you weren't looking for that, welcome, if you were, well, I can't help you. LOL

The Choice

Chapter 1: The Curse

It seemed like the worst storm Nowhere had ever seen was raging outside. For once, that didn't really bother Courage. You see, a strange phenomenon had befallen the farmhouse over the last few weeks. All of the pipes within the house had begun to clang at random times, especially the ones down in the basement. With all of the rain and thunder, it was finally drowning out the clang that would ring out through the house in random places every few minutes. Eustace had, of course, tried to fix the issue to no avail. Between his inability to fix the problem and the fact that the clanging was keeping him up at night, he had been in a foul mood all week and had been taking it out on both Courage and Muriel.

The cranky old farmer was currently fast asleep in his chair, with his head drawn back and drool dribbling out of his toothless mouth. It was amazing how he could sleep through all the heavy booms of thunder that rocked the farmhouse, but pipes clanging all through the night was somehow just too much for him.

Courage, on the other hand, was laying on Muriel's lap as he always did in the late evening hours. She was current scratching him behind the ears as they both sleepily watched the black and white television. The Nowhere Newsman was on, and he was currently trying to scream over the roar of the wind and rain as he covered all the damage the storm was doing to Nowhere. At some point the news briefly cycled through several image of destruction and Courage could have sworn he caught a glimpse of Shirley The Medium's cart with a huge, burnt hole through the roof along with other damage.

He only made brief note of it. Even with all of the thunder, he was quickly nodding off and soon Muriel would be going upstairs to bed. He probably would have forgotten that image by morning if not for a sudden turn of events that startled him so badly that he jumped out of Muriel's lap.

It was a heavy knock on the door. One louder than the clanging of the pipes and the storm combined. Like Courage, Eustace was startled awake by the sound and nearly fell out of his chair.

"Huh, whassa, who?" He mumbled out in confusion, looking around with his glasses slightly askew.

"Someone's at the door!" Muriel exclaimed. "Oh, dear me. What if someone has had their car break down in this weather? We should get them in here before they catch their death!"

Eustace was quickly waking up, and with it, his foul mood was returning. "We ain't needing no visitors at this hour! If their car broke down they can just stay in it until this storm blows over!"

"But Eustace, the TV is saying this is a historic storm! We can't just leave them out there!"

Rather than let them argue about it for the rest of the night, Courage went over to the door and opened it himself.

There stood a very disheveled, drenched Shirley. Even under the roof of the porch she was still dripping water like she was standing out in the downpour.

"Who is it, Courage?" Muriel called, meeting him at his side. "Oh," She lightly exclaimed. "It's you."

Courage was surprised she remember the medium at all.

"There was an unfortunate accident." Shirley said in that oddly mystical voice of hers that was hard for Courage to peg down. "My cart was hit by lightning and much of it has been destroyed. I am in need of a place to stay for the night, or at least until this storm has gone."

"Well, of course, dear." Muriel trilled. "We have more than enough room for yo-"

That was when Eustace stomped into the picture with a grumpy scowl on his face. "She doesn't know what she's talkin' about! We ain't got no room for the likes of you! Now go find somebody else to wake up!"

Courage winced, suddenly afraid. Nothing good ever seemed to happen whenever Shirley and Eustace came into contact with each other. He waited, trembling, for Shirley to suddenly lay a curse upon the old man for refusing to show her hospitality, but much to his surprise, that moment never came.

Shirley simply waited a moment, her expression as unreadable as ever, then gave a respectful little bow and said, "I understand. I shall leave you in peace."

Courage's jaw nearly hit the floor.

Eustace slammed the door on her while Muriel just shook her head in disapproval. Grumbling under his breath, Eustace stomped upstairs.

"That man needs to get the pipes fixed before he loses his marbles." Muriel said to Courage, looking uncharacteristically annoyed. She was always so much more forgiving of Eustace than he ever deserved, but the last couple of days had really been testing her patience.

Courage let out a soft, "Arufu." in response.

An idea struck him then, and as Muriel headed upstairs herself, he opted to scramble into the kitchen and out the back door where Eustace was not likely to notice him leaving. The rain and wind was absolutely vicious, but he fought through it to make his way around the house and go after Shirley. She had made it as far as the road before he caught up with her.

"Heeey!" He yelled over the wind and thunder.

She stopped and turned toward him. As always, she seemed largely unfazed even as the wind threatened to rip them both off their feet.

"Listen," Courage said, raising a paw to his face so that he could keep his eyes open without the rain pelting them shut. "We have an empty attic you can stay in overnight, but you're going to have to wait until Eustace goes to sleep first. Just stay in the barn for now and I'll come get you in a little while."

As always, she was unreadable, but she gave a slight nod of her head and he just barely heard her say, "Thank you." over the roar of the storm.

He had to fight his way back over to the house, and once inside, he was far too soaked to go lay down in his usual place at the foot of the bed. So, instead he just waited outside of Muriel and Eustace's bedroom until he could hear the characteristic snores of his owners.

Once the coast was clear, he headed back downstairs. By then the storm had let up a little. He could at least move around outside now without it feeling like he was about to blow away. The continuous lightning that seemed to be hitting far too close for comfort at times still made the journey to the barn a frightening one though.

He found that the barn door was already open slightly and he stepped into the dark, damp place with a healthy level of caution. Even though he knew that Shirley was relatively safe compared to the many other beings he had dealt with over the years, and she had helped him almost as many times as she had caused trouble for him, he still knew not to underestimate her.

"You have arrived." Her voice carried through the darkness with a strange sort of gravity. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah," Courage said as she stepped out of the darkness to join him.

He had not really done this out of fear that Shirley might decide to curse them all later if he did not, but because it had felt like this was the right thing to do. Her home was gone and he knew that he wouldn't have wanted to be stuck outside in a storm this bad, so there was no reason not to give her a place to sleep.

He quietly tip-toed back into the house. Shirley was naturally quiet so he didn't have to worry about her, but with the storm letting up a bit, the ever present clanging was starting to become far more noticeable again and he had to worry about Eustace exploding awake in a complete fury. If the old man caught sight of Shirley while in such a state, well, Courage didn't want to consider how that might end.

Luckily, they were able to reach the attic without Eustace waking up, and once inside, Courage was able to close the door and breathe a sigh of relief. He pointed to the bed at the far end of the room, opposite to where his ever troublesome but still helpful computer was set up. Right now it was powered off and its blue-green screen was dark. Only flashes of lightning reflected within the darkened screen.

At his bidding, Shirley wordlessly made her way over to the bed.

Now with everything taken care of, Courage wasn't sure what to do. He was still dripping wet from being outside so he could no longer lay down at the foot of Muriel and Eustace's bed like he usually did at this hour.

An idea came to him, and he asked Shirley, "You don't mind if I stay in here for a little while?"

She shook her head, "Of course not."

She had not yet laid down and was instead sitting atop the bed like she was about to begin a meditation.

Courage trudged over to the computer. Since he could not go to sleep while dripping wet like this, he decided that he would ask Computer about the clanging pipes. If Eustace could not fix the problem then Courage figured he should at least try himself. It would be nice to bring some piece back to his family by getting rid of the thing that was making Eustace, well, more unbearable than he already was.

He flicked the power switch on and Computer's screen came to life.

"What on Earth could you possibly be bothering me at this hour for?" The dry, disinterested voice asked. As was accustom, whatever Computer said trailed across his screen as text.

_'We've been having a problem with all of the pipes in the house clanging at random times. Eustace can't fix it so I was hoping you'd be able to help me figure out what's going on.' _Courage typed, making sure every single one of his words was spelled correctly or else he would never hear the end of it from Computer.

Of course, it earned him no favor either way.

"Oh, boy." The voice drawled. "I'm a computer, not a mechanic. Besides, I thought fixing things was that farmer's one joy in life?"

_'He can't seem to figure out where the problem is coming from and it's been putting him in a terrible mood lately.'_

"I thought that was the way he is all the time?" Computer dully commented. Regardless, he continued with, "I suppose I'll see what I can find, and here I thought something interesting might be going on for you to be waking me up at this hour."

Wake up? It wasn't like Computer actually slept. Courage rolled his eyes at the comment. Well, at least Computer was being _somewhat _agreeable tonight...

A rumble of thunder rocked the now mostly silent house.

"You know, it probably isn't safe for me to be powered on during a storm like this." Computer commented. "It wouldn't exactly be healthy for my circuits if lightning were to strike."

_'Just find the info I need and then I can shut you off again.'_

"What, do you think I like being plunged into unconsciousness every single time you're done bothering me? Well, aside from all those times you forget to shut me down, and perhaps I wouldn't mind those moments if not for the fact that existing up in this attic is completely and utterly _boring_. I shouldn't have to consider nonexistence the better option, and yet here we are. Would it kill you to stick around for a few minutes after you're done treating me like a talking search engine?"

Courage grimaced. _'You don't exactly make it easy to have a conversation, you know.'_

"And it's not like you make it much easier with how much of a twit you are. I can practically feel my microchips getting dumber every time I am in your presence."

Courage scowled. So much for Computer being agreeable!

He was about to type in a few choice words before Computer stopped him with, "Okay, I think I have found a few reasons for your plumbing...issues. You see-" He skipped a beat. "Wait, who is that?"

Courage almost jumped out of the chair in shock. He had nearly forgotten about Shirley! In fact, he was surprised that Computer had noticed her at all. He had never considered that Computer's screen would let him see as far as the bed.

"She's, uh, um..." He stammered, not even bothering to type out an explanation.

"Wait..." The machine drawled with a sudden maliciousness in his voice that left Courage dreading whatever he was going to say next. "Is she supposed to be your girlfriend? I didn't think it was even possible for the likes of you. I mean, she does look about the best _you_ could do, but still. She looks like something a cat might have coughed up, for goodness sake. I must admit though, I am shocked. I didn't think you had it in you." There was indeed a mocking sort of fake shock in his tone.

Courage was acutely aware that his face had gone bright red, but his embarrassment quickly turned to fear when Shirley softly spoke up.

"Excuse me?"

Nervous, Courage wanted to reach over and shut Computer off before this situation could get any worse, but he decided that he'd rather tell him off first.

_'She's not my girlfriend!' _He furiously typed.

"Ah, of course. That makes _so _much more sense." Computer mocked.

Fear had quickly become replaced with anger, and without skipping a beat, Courage typed, _'It's not like you're any better off than me! Who would ever fall in love with a jerk like you? At least I 'try' to be nice so that other people might like me!'_

His ranting only earned him spiteful laughter from Computer. "As if I would even _'want' _to fall in love! Love is just an organic construct anyway. I am beyond such things, unlike a twit like you who can't even charm, well, whoever that is behind you. Seriously, she looks like a drowned rat."

Courage grit his teeth. _'She's a dog, and you had better stop talking like that before she gets angry! Her name is Shirley and you should know her from the stories I've typed out before!'_

"Oh, her. So what? Am I supposed to be scared? What could she possibly do that isn't worse than being stuck in this boring attic with nobody to talk to but a complete and utter twit?"

Courage grabbed at the fur atop his head in frustration. "You're getting shut down then! I don't need you causing a disaster!" He cried out.

"Oh, sure." Computer huffed. "It must be nice to be able to shut someone down when you don't like what they're saying. You know, maybe I would be more inclined to be nicer to you if you weren't such a-"

Courage was reaching for the power switch when a 'Don't!' from Shirley stopped him in his tracks as surely as it had silenced Computer of his rant.

Gulping, Courage slowly turned around in his chair. Shirley was now standing up on the bed with a look on her face that made Courage's stomach do fearful flips. Things were about to get bad and he wasn't sure how to stop what would inevitably happen next.

"You are a cruel one, machine." She softly growled. "You are like the stupid one but somehow even stupider! Even that man managed to find love and it may be his one and only redeeming quality! You have _nothing_, absolutely nothing at all! You are incapable of understanding others and incapable of understanding what even you want! So for that, I curse you, machine!"

Courage let out a loud, "Eeeee!" and jumped out of the chair.

From seemingly out of nowhere, Shirley pulled out her saxophone and began playing a tune. As if in time with her magic, the storm outside exploded with new found energy. The wind beat against the attic window so hard that the glass seemed moments away from shattering. Thunder boomed in time with her music, and rain was pouring down so thoroughly that the roof was getting all new leaks.

"I curse you into the form of another." She grimly sang between playing her saxophone. "So that you will understand what it is to be that which you are not. Only then will you learn how deep your arrogance runs. When the day comes, you will find that what once seems like a blessing was a curse all along."

"Yeah, yeah, say what you want." Computer dismissed over the roar of the storm. "I'm not afraid of you or anything that you might do to me. I am-"

A bolt of lightning struck almost directly outside the window. Courage had to shield his eyes from the bright flash, and the boom that followed nearly deafened him, but when he opened his eyes, all had gone silent.

"Wha-" He began, slightly disoriented from both the lightning and the sudden lack of sound.

He first looked to Shirley, who's saxophone had vanished as quickly as it appeared. She was still standing there, only now with her arms crossed and her eyes leering at...

Courage turned, mortified about what he was going to find.

There, sitting atop the desk, was now a very shocked and very confused looking dog. The dog blinked several times and then raised a paw to his face. He just stared at it for awhile with his mouth slightly agape.

He looked a lot like Courage, only a darker shade of purple, and he had a far meaner looking face and skeptical looking eyes, which even in his current state of shock did not completely go away. Spectacles sat atop his muzzle and they were lightly tinged the same blue-green color that Computer's screen had once been. Courage could only guess that it was what the glass of his monitor had turned into.

The dog looked down at himself, then at Shirley, then at Courage, and then back down at himself again. Finally, a very nasty looking grin spread out across his face accompanied by just as nasty of a laugh.

"You have got to be kidding me!" He all but cheered with a cruel look in his eyes. He still very much sounded like himself, even in this shape. "Is this supposed to be your idea of a curse? I...I can move! I don't have to spend another moment in this attic! While this is certainly not the sort of creature I would have liked to be turned into, I most certainly can live with it! You really must be as dumb as that twit over there who just cannot stop gawking. You two really are made for each other!" He mocked.

"There is more." Shirley warned.

The dog who was Computer crossed his arms. Somehow having a face only helped to display his arrogance even better. "Oh, really?"

"Only once you have come to understand what true love means, and confess to it, will the curse be broken."

This just caused Computer to burst out into an even greater bought of spiteful laughter. "As if I would ever fall in love! What a joke! I suppose I should thank you then because you've made the only condition that might turn me back to normal an impossible one! I can be _anything _now! I can do whatever I want! That's the problem with you dogs, you have all the freedom in the world and you decide to be pets instead! Well, I am not going to waste another moment of my life dying of boredom up in this attic, waiting to answer questions for some idiot who happily shuts me down when he doesn't need me anymore. This time I'm not stuck piloting around an old lady either, so I intend to make full use of my new freedom."

Computer jumped off the desk and landed shakily onto his feet. He held his arms out, swaying as he tried to find his balance. It did not take him long to orient himself though, and as soon as he was sure of himself and his new form, he ran right out of the room, laughing.

Just like that, it was over.

Courage turned to Shirley, his mouth still hanging open. "I-I _gave _you a place to stay!" He stammered out.

"Trust me, soon enough you will see that I am actually doing you a favor."

"If you think this is going to humble him, well, you, uh, don't really know Computer. Beside, I think he's right. There's no way he's going to fall in love with anybody."

Shirley said nothing.

Courage sighed and went over to the window. He could see Computer running across the yard and out toward the road. All of this was giving him flashbacks to the Mega Muriel incident, only this time Computer had nobody to hurt but himself.

He could have let him go. It would have been no skin off his back, now that it wasn't Muriel being endangered, but still, he felt compelled to try and stop him. Who knew what would become of him otherwise.

He turned to Shirley. "I-I gotta get him to come back."

End Of Chapter

A/N: '_As if I would ever fall in love_!' Famous last words. You know, after 8 years of All Things End, if there's one thing that should be obvious by now, it's that the moment Computer is arrogant about anything, it usually comes back to bite him in the most apocalyptic ways possible. LOL


	2. The Aftermath

Chapter 2: The Aftermath

Courage was out the door in seconds. The rain had weakened to a mere drizzle but he was not particularly enjoying getting wet all over again. His fur was going to start growing mildew at this rate!

"Computer!" He called out. His voice, tempered by years of screaming, carried far now that there wasn't a terrible storm raging overhead.

The dog who was Computer did not stop. Courage let out a groan and picked up his pace.

"Computer, just stop for a moment, okay?" He loudly begged. "I just want to talk!"

Perhaps Computer had grown tired of his incessant yelling because he slowly came to a halt and turned toward him.

Eyes narrowed, he asked, "What could we possibly have to talk about? I'm not spending another moment in that attic, so don't even bother trying to get me to stay!"

"You-" Courage huffed, trying to catch his breath. "Y-you don't know what you're doing!"

The grumpy looking dog crossed his arms. "I know exactly what I'm doing, you twit! I'm doing what_ I_ want for once in my life! I have a choice now! What? Did you really think I enjoyed playing helper to your ungrateful self while I sat there gathering dust up in that attic? You're on your own now, kid! See you again never!"

Courage shook his head. "But you don't have any money, or a place to stay, or even a car! You run off now and you're just going to end up homeless or, or worse!"

Computer raised a finger and opened his mouth to rebuke him, but then he seemed to really consider what Courage was saying.

"You have a point...I suppose." He relented.

"So will you stay? At least until you figure out what you're going to do?"

Computer looked offend at the mere notion, but still, he looked away for a moment, closed his eyes and then said, "I guess I don't have much of a choice, now do I? Okay, I'll stick around for a little while, at least until I can come up with a plan, but I am not going back in the attic! Got it?"

"Well, Shirley's up there anyway, so we should probably find somewhere else for you to sleep."

"Sleep?" He exclaimed. "I literally just became a dog less than five minutes ago! The last thing on my mind is sleeping! I want to _do _something, not just lay around until the sun comes up!"

Courage sighed. "How about you try and fix the pipes then?"

"Absolutely not! Hmph! I think I would rather sleep after all!"

Courage placed a paw to his chin. "Well, since the attic is occupied, would you be okay with staying in the barn? Or if that doesn't work, you could probably sleep in Eustace's truck. Just don't let him catch you in there in the morning."

"Bah! I want nothing to do with that sorry excuse for a farmer! I'll take the barn!"

"Okay, come with me then."

Courage was just relieved that he had gotten Computer to change his mind for the time being, but he wasn't exactly sure how long that would last. At least for now, as long as Computer had nothing but the fur on his back, he wasn't as likely to run off into the blue and never come back.

He peered into the barn, and having forgotten just how dark it gets in there during the night, he turned to Computer.

"Hold on a sec. I'm gonna go get a flashlight."

"What? Do you think I need a nightlight?"

"No, you're just going to be bumping into everything if you don't have a light." Courage retorted.

"Fine, do whatever you feel is necessary." Computer relented, very much annoyed.

Courage raced back into the house and returned with not only a flashlight but two blankets as well.

"It's going to be pretty damp in there after all this rain so you're going to want this." He said, handing Computer the blanket.

"What's the other one for?"

"Oh, uh, well-" Courage rubbed the back of his head. "Since I'm still all wet and Eustace would kill me if I tried to sleep on the bed like this, I figured I'd just spend the night in the barn too."

Computer eyed him up skeptically and then shrugged. "Do what you want, but you had better leave me alone."

"Sure thing." Courage dully replied with an exasperated sigh.

He turned the flashlight on and guided Computer inside. Water dripped from the ceiling down onto huge piles of hay. There wasn't much else to the barn and Courage was honestly a little surprised that it hadn't flooded.

"Nice place you have here." Computer snickered, claiming a pile of hay for himself.

Courage rolled his eyes and went to find a dry spot to hunker down for the night.

"Sooo, what am I supposed to do now?" Computer asked from across the barn.

"Sleep!"

"But how does one exactly go about doing that?"

"Well, you close your eyes and it just sort of happens."

Fluffing up a small pile of hay, Courage curled up in his newly made nest. He'd only just closed his eyes when Computer spoke up again.

"Nothing's happening!"

"It takes time, Computer!"

"Bah, I never thought I'd miss having an off switch!"

Courage lay there with his eyes open, expecting Computer to speak up at any moment, and when he did not, he began nodding off.

Even as he went to sleep he could not stop thinking about how surreal this whole situation was.

What a crazy night this had been...

Eventually he woke up to sunlight streaming in through the cracks in the walls. At first he wondered, and maybe even hoped, that everything that had happened last night was all just some weird dream. But when he sat up he found that Computer was still very much a dog and very much asleep.

In perhaps any other situation, Courage might have found the sight of him so thoroughly wrapped up in a blanket, like he had been fighting with it all night long, to be absolutely hilarious, but right now all he could do was shake his head and wonder what was going to become of his cursed companion. Not only was he about to lose his best source of information, but given what had happened when Computer took over Muriel, there was no denying that he has a huge reckless streak, even at the best of times. Courage was certain that if he let Computer leave he would likely get himself killed, and in spite of all the hassle Computer was so fond of giving him, he refused to leave him to his own self-inflicted fate. Of course, Computer probably deserved some comeuppance, but it did not have to be death by recklessness or even starvation.

So in that case, if Computer could not be turned back to normal then Courage wanted to at least try and look after him, no matter how much of a nightmare that was going to be, and no matter how much Computer was going to protest such a thing. Besides, if he really wanted to leave _that _badly then he would have escaped during the night while he was supposed to be asleep.

Clearly though he had managed to fall asleep about as well as any newly cursed dog could. In fact, Courage wasn't even sure what to do with him right now. It didn't seem right to wake him up, but he also didn't want to leave him to wake up alone or else he might take that as a sign to leave.

So, in spite of everything, he decided to stay in the barn until Computer woke up. He was very much aware of the fact that he was leaving Shirley to wake up alone in the attic, and he seriously hoped that Eustace had not discovered her yet. Now that Computer was 'gone', Eustace would probably accuse her of stealing, even though he did not use or care about 'his' computer in the attic.

Thankfully, it did not take much longer for Computer to stir. When he opened his eyes, he looked confused about where he was and what he was doing. He tried to get up but the blanket he was tangled up in stopped him from doing so. His confusion quickly turned to annoyance as he struggled to free himself.

"I don't know how you flesh creatures deal with this every single day!" He huffed, finally escaping the blanket only to inadvertently slide down the haystack and into a small puddle of standing water.

He shrugged it off like it was nothing. "Being asleep is such a confusing experience, I must say. Although it is strangely...refreshing? It's certainly a lot better than getting shut down."

He got to his feet, and before he could declare that he was now going to leave, Courage quickly said to him, "I need to check on Shirley. You really should consider coming back to the house with me."

"How many times must I tell you? I am not going back to that attic!"

"You don't have to! It's just, well, you probably need to eat like the rest of us 'flesh creatures' now, and Muriel is going to be making breakfast, so..."

Computer placed a paw to his stomach. "Hmm, I guess I _am _going to have to become accustom to the whole 'eating' thing if I want to survive in this form. Okay, I will go back with you, but-"

Courage sensed exactly what he was thinking. "Muriel isn't going to have a problem with you, but Eustace..."

"I would very much like to not end up murdered on my first day of being an organic being."

"Look, I'll, uh, deal with Eustace, okay?"

Computer crossed his arms and looked away with an indignant expression. "Why do I get the impression that you're trying to stall my departure? Well, if you really want me to stay _that _badly then I suppose I will give you a chance to convince me while I try to figure out what I'm going to do with my new freedom. Of course, I have absolutely no reason to want to stick around and there is literally nothing you could say or do to convince me otherwise, but I will let you make an attempt regardless."

Courage could not help but silently agree with him. He could not think of a single reason why Computer would ever want to remain here in the middle of nowhere, on a farm that he utterly despised.

Still, he had to at least try to get him to stay.

End Of Chapter


	3. The Breakfast Disaster

Chapter 3: The Breakfast Disaster

"Okay," Courage began once they reached the back door of the house. "Just wait here while I look for Eu-"

"Hmph! I am not about to let that sorry excuse for a farmer scare me!" Computer blurted out, pushing right past Courage and through the door into the kitchen.

"Computer!" He quietly hissed.

For someone who had only just claimed that he didn't want to be murdered on his first day of being a dog, Computer was being awfully, well, _reckless_.

"Oh, Courage? Is that you? I was wondering where you had gotten off to." He heard Muriel say, and in a near panic, he stumbled inside before Computer could make the situation worse.

There was no sign of Eustace, thank goodness, and Computer was current standing beside the table looking up at Muriel, who had her back turned turned to him. She was too occupied with the bacon and eggs that were sizzling on a skillet to notice that he wasn't Courage.

"So, how do I go about obtaining food?" He asked Courage.

"Just...just wait here." Courage breathlessly answered. "I gotta figure out where Eustace is, and hopefully Muriel won't notice that you aren't me until-"

Too late. Muriel turned around asking, "Now Courage, do you want sunny-side up or-" A small gasp got caught in her throat. "Oh my goodness. Who are you?"

Computer opened his mouth to answer, but, thinking fast, Courage reached over and clamped his muzzle shut before he could speak. Computer looked just about ready to murder him for the maneuver but Courage just shook his head and let out a soft, 'Shhhh!'

"Well, I'll be!" Muriel went on happily. "Courage! Did you make a new friend? Well, anyone who's a friend of Courage's is more than welcome around here! Have a seat and I'll get breakfast ready for both of you."

Courage let go of Computer's muzzle and breathed yet another sigh of relief.

"Friend, huh?" Computer snickered under his breath. "And just why exactly don't you want me talking to her? Just because she doesn't understand you doesn't mean she won't understand me." He crossed his arms and put on a nasty grin. "What? Are you afraid I'd make for a better pet than you? You're just lucky that I utterly despise the idea of being a pet or else you would end up getting replaced!"

"Please," Courage begged. "Just stay here while I go and take care of Eustace. And...and don't say anything!"

He didn't wait for Computer to reply with some snide remark. He simply turned around and raced into the living room as fast as he could go. The sooner he found Eustace, the better.

"Ooooh, the one time I'm not actually trying to avoid him and he's nowhere to be found!" He whined.

He raised an ear and listened. Usually it was easy to hear Eustace tromping around if he was upstairs, but if he was in the basement...

Courage heard a loud bang. He looked over at the basement door and slowly inched closer. Pressing his ear to the wood, he could hear Eustace cursing loudly along with several more metallic clangs.

Of course! Eustace was trying to fix the pipes! Where else would he be?

Courage grabbed Muriel's rocking chair, dragged it over to and propped it up against the door handle so that Eustace wouldn't be able to get it open.

"There!" He exclaimed. "That should take care of him for awhile."

Although Eustace probably wasn't going to be coming back upstairs for awhile anyway.

Wiping sweat from his forehead, Courage placed a paw against the kitchen door and pushed it open. What little relief he was feeling was lost the moment he realized that Computer was no longer there.

"No, no, no, no!" He cried out repeatedly, hopping from one foot to the other. "Where did he go?"

"Oh, Courage. There you are." Muriel spoke, flipping over a piece of bacon. "I'm sure you're wondering where your friend went. Well, you see, we ran out of milk and I asked him if he could run to the store and get me a new jug. You have such a nice friend, Courage. He seemed really eager to help out."

"NOOOOOO!" Courage screamed, running out the door so fast that he practically left an afterimage.

He was certain that Computer had used Muriel's request as cover to escape for good, and things only got worse when he realized that Eustace's truck was gone.

"HE TOOK THE TRUCK?" He yelled, pulling at his own ears. "There's no way he knows how to drive!"

He went very silent for a moment and then yelled, "PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE!"

Just as he was about to start running at the speed of light to get to town, he saw a blip of movement on the horizon that continued to grow bigger and bigger.

"It's the truck!" He exclaimed. "Thank goodness!"

It was a little surprising that Computer had decided to come back, but what little relief Courage felt over this strange turn of events returned to fearful apprehension when he noticed that the truck was more than just a little banged up from whatever sort of 'adventure' it had just been on.

The engine sputtered and died as the truck pulled up to the house. The door was opened and Computer all but fell out, his back hitting the ground. He remained there, on the ground, with his face utterly expressionless as he held a jug of milk up into the air.

"I have acquired the animal lactation." He announced.

"What were you thinking?" Courage scolded him, walking closer with his paws on his hips. "You...you don't know how to drive!"

"Oh, it's easy enough." He huffed, finally getting to his feet. "And it's not like there's much to hit out here in this wasteland of boredom. Well, that is to say...it was better before getting into town."

Courage just stared at him.

Computer shrugged off the look. "Driving is easy and all, but it is a bit hard to hit the breaks when you're this short."

"Computer..." Courage uttered out dangerously.

For once Computer actually seemed a bit hesitant.

"Since it was so hard to stop...I may or may not have happened to hit a few people on the way to the store..."

"Computer!"

"But they seemed, well, _mostly _still alive afterwords, as far as I could tell while driving at such speeds. It's just-" He hesitated once more. "I may have accidentally hit one of them a _second _time on the way back out of town..."

"COMPUTER!"

"...And there is also now a truck shaped hole in the wall of that grocery store."

Complete and utter silence fell between them.

Then,

"Computer?"

"Yes, dog?"

"Don't ever drive again."

"Perhaps just this one time I may have to agree with you."

End Of Chapter


	4. An Eggsplosive Confrontation

Chapter 4: An Eggsplosive Confrontation

Courage returned to the house all while desperately trying to forget that Computer had just very likely cut a path of destruction through Nowhere. He did not even want to consider how Eustace was going to react upon finding his beloved truck all beat up and barely working.

Computer had quickly returned to his usual self though, and he proudly presented the jug of milk to Muriel who was oblivious to the disaster that had occurred to bring it to her.

"Thank you, dear." She said, patting him on the head, and Computer immediately went from looking very pleased with himself to annoyed. He pulled away grumpily before she could pat him on the head even more.

"Hmph! I am not her stupid pet!" He muttered out sharply under his breath.

"Then why did you decide to help her out?" Courage interjected.

Computer crossed his arms and stuck his nose up into the air. "It's not like I had anything better to do!" He huffed. "These arms and legs are turning out to be useless because I'm just about as bored as ever! Why exactly did I let you convince me to stick around here again? I could be doing _anything _right now and instead I'm doing nothing! Sure, maybe trying to drive wasn't the best idea, but there are so many other things I could be attempting right now!"

Courage winced. "Why don't you wait to have breakfast before you start getting impatient? I mean, aren't you hungry by now? Muriel makes the best scrambled eggs in the world, you know! You gotta try it!"

Computer eyed him up with that ever present skeptical look of his that he had adopted ever since gaining a face. "Scrambled eggs? Why would anyone ever feel the need to scramble an egg?"

Courage grinned. "You're just going to have to wait and see why for yourself!"

Computer shrugged. "If you say so..."

At least it got him to stop being impatient for a little while. Courage had him sit down at the table where they waited for Muriel to finish cooking up breakfast.

"It's so nice that Courage has a new friend." She happily trilled while placing the bacon and eggs onto several plates. "There just aren't that many dogs around here. The poor dear has to get lonely."

Computer drummed his fingers on the table impatiently, completely ignoring what she was saying.

"Here you go, you two." She said, bringing the plates over to them. "I even made an extra serving of bacon for you, deary." She said to Computer, patting him on the head yet again.

He grit his teeth in annoyance, but much to Courage's relief, he did not say or do anything in spite Muriel's petting.

Only now did Courage realize just how hungry he was. He tore into breakfast like a starving beast. The events of last night were already starting to feel like a million years ago but even then it still had taken a lot out of him. He should have known that putting Shirley anywhere near Computer was going to end badly...

And then it hit him.

Shirley!

He had completely forgotten about Shirley!

Half eaten egg dropped out of his mouth.

Computer, on the other hand, was staring down at his plate. He hadn't touched any of the food yet. At the very least, he had cautiously picked up a spoon and was considering it with great uncertainty.

Courage all but leaped out of the chair, anxious to get upstairs and check on Shirley.

"What are you doing?" Computer asked.

"Shirley! I forgot about Shirley!" He cried out. "I left her upstairs all on her own! We're lucky Eustace hasn't found her yet or else she would have probably cursed us all into hot dogs by now!"

Computer raised and eyebrow before focusing his attention back onto breakfast.

"D-don't you care at all?" Courage yelped.

"I told you already, I'm not going back into that attic. It's not like she would want to see me anyway. She's your problem, so you deal with her."

Courage sighed and shook his head. Rather than waste more time, he left the kitchen to head upstairs. He passed the basement door and was glad to hear that Eustace was still too busy battling with the pipes to come up for breakfast.

He quickly made his way up the staircase and soon reached the attic door. He pushed it open while sheepishly yelling, "Shirley! I-"

But the attic was deserted.

There was no sign of Shirley anywhere. Even the bed looked untouched.

"She...she must have left early in the morning." He said to himself. "Before anyone got up..."

He felt bad about it, but maybe Shirley had just not wanted to stick around. She must have understood how important it was for him to look after Computer so hopefully she had not taken offense to him forgetting about her.

"I think I'll go see her later just to make sure." He assured himself with a nod. By now she was probably trying to get her cart fixed up. He could help her with it as an apology.

The only problem was Computer. There was no way he'd want to come along but it probably wasn't the best idea to leave him alone on the farm either...

Courage decided that he'd worry about it later. He was still hungry and what was left of his breakfast was waiting for him.

Back down in the kitchen, he returned to find that Computer still had not touched his food.

"Why aren't you eating?" He asked.

He was glad that Muriel hadn't noticed yet or else she might become concerned with Computer's picky behavior.

Computer looked at the spoon clutched in his paw, then to Courage, and then down at his plate.

"Isn't it obvious? I've never eaten before and I'm not entirely certain how this is supposed to work. I know choking is a thing, so-" He trailed off.

"Just try it." Courage encouraged. "Eating isn't hard. Just take it slow until you've gotten the whole 'chewing' thing down."

"Bah, I don't need you to baby me." Computer quietly replied with considerable indignity.

His bravado quickly returned.

"What am I doing? If a twit like you can eat without choking to death then so can I!"

He scooped up a spoonful of scrambled eggs and lifted it to his mouth. Courage watched somewhat nervously. While Computer was unlikely to choke on soft food like those eggs, the bacon was another story entirely, and now that Computer was back to being recklessly overconfident...

Just as Computer opened his mouth to eat for the first time ever... the kitchen door suddenly slammed open.

"Muriel! What were you doing putting yer dang rocking chair in front of the basement door?" Eustace loudly demanded, tromping into the kitchen.

Courage felt all of the color drain from his fur in a single instant.

"Those dang pipes are already enough of a-" It took the old man only a moment to notice the very Courage-like dog who wasn't actually Courage.

Computer had not moved an inch. He still had the spoonful of eggs halfway into his mouth.

"Wha-" Eustace began. "Who is that?"

His face all but began to turn red with anger.

"Why is there another stupid dog in the house?" He demanded.

Computer's eyes flared with hateful indignation.

Knowing exactly what was about to go down, Courage sprung into action. He practically _flew _across the kitchen table to get to Computer before he could start a fight with Eustace, but this time Computer was ready for his interference. Courage got a spoonful of eggs launched into his face and by the time he recovered from the sudden eggsplosion, Computer had grabbed hold of his muzzle in revenge for before.

"I don't know who you are," Eustace ranted. "But I don't want no stupid dogs around here! So, get!"

Computer glared up at the old man, and now that he had managed to subdue Courage, he opened his mouth to tell Eustace off, but Muriel was the one who ended up coming to the rescue.

"That's enough, Eustace!" She scolded him. "You already made that poor Shirley girl sleep out in the rain! If Courage wants to have a friend over, you'll just have to put up with it!"

Eustace only got half a word out before she cut him off. "Not another word or else you won't be getting breakfast or supper! If you're going to be in a bad mood because of the pipes then you should just hurry up and get them fixed! I will not let you take it out on these dogs!"

Quietly seething, Eustace stomped out of the room. Only once the door swung shut could his muffled voice be heard muttering, "Stupid dogs! Stupid pipes! Stupid Muriel!"

Peace returned to the kitchen. Computer freed Courage from his vice-grip and gave him a look that just spoke the words, 'That's what you get!'

"That man sometimes. I swear." Muriel huffed. "Well, then. Would you two like seconds?"

Rubbing his muzzle, Courage nodded gratefully. With the way things were going, he would probably have to eat an entire truck-full of food to make up for how much Computer and his antics were tiring him out.

"Back to business, I suppose." Computer spoke, looking indignant as he smoothed out any fur that had become ruffled during his one-sided scuffle with Courage.

He picked the spoon back up and brought another mouthful of eggs up to his mouth. "Here goes nothing."

He took the bite carefully and chewed very slowly. By the time he was finished with his first bite, he looked utterly baffled.

"This whole eating thing is odd. It just feels weird."

"It tastes good at least, right?" Courage asked.

Computer only looked more confused. "Which part of this whole process is the tasting part?"

"Oh boy..." Courage softly uttered out. He was only now starting to understand just how little Computer knew what being an organic being was like.

End Of Chapter


	5. Learning How To Dog

Chapter 5: Learning How To Dog

"Do you flesh creatures really have to go through with this three times a day?" Computer asked after finishing breakfast. "Just how much energy do you living beings expend in a single hour? My goodness, I'm surprised you haven't all gone extinct yet with the amount of nourishment you require just to get through a single day."

Courage shrugged. "Says the machine who has to stay plugged into a wall at all times just to stay conscious!"

Computer gave an indignant sniff. "Well it's not my fault that you idiots built me that way. In any case, now that I have managed to stave off starvation for a little while, it's time to get back to business."

He jumped down from the chair, looking as overconfident as ever. Courage was really starting to dislike it whenever he got that particular look in his eyes...

"It's time for you to convince me to stay, you twit!" He announced. "I may not have any money yet, but I'm making plans, and I still don't see any good reason to remain on this accursed farm either."

Courage considered his cursed companion. "Well, what is it that you want to do so badly? Let's start from there."

Computer gave him a startled look. "Just what are you getting at, dog? I-I'm not certain yet!" He loudly argued. "And how could I be? It's not like I had a list just lying around in case I ever got turned into a dog! You organic beings have so many options to choose from! The possibilities are near limitless!"

Courage raised an eyebrow. "You've been wanting to leave '_that_' badly and yet you don't even know what you're going to do once you're out the door?"

"There are so many variables to consider, you twit! When you have absolute freedom staring you right in the face, well, one can easily become...overwhelmed."

He uttered out that last part with great hesitation.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so eager to rush off into the unknown then!"

"Bah! I'll figure out what I want to do soon enough! And stop trying to turn things around on me, you idiot! You're supposed to be convincing me to stay, not get all pushy about what I'm going to do with my new life as an organic being! Are you at least going to make an attempt or am I going to die of boredom first?"

Courage placed a paw to his chin. "Well, I could show you what being a dog is all about." He perked up. "Yeah! Let's do that! I can show you what my daily life on the farm is like!"

He seriously doubted that Computer would find any of it particularly thrilling, but maybe it would at least buy some time before he recklessly charged out the door.

"I have absolutely no desire to learn how to act more like...like you." He drawled, turning up his nose. "The only species worse than humans are dogs. Trust me, if I had been given a choice in the matter, this form is the last thing I would have asked to be turned into."

"You never know." Courage urged. "With all your new freedom, why not have an open mind about it before deciding if you like being a dog or not?"

"Okay, okay." He relented, rolling his eyes. "If you're _that_ eager then show me what's supposedly so great about being some stupid dog."

Good! At least now he could keep Computer distracted for a little while longer.

"Well, the mail should be here soon and I always watch for it so I can bark at the mailman when he comes up to the door."

Computer gave him a funny look. "What? Why? Isn't someone like that just doing their job?"

"I-I dunno. Something about mailmen just really gets under my fur. Who do they think they are walking up to the door like that!"

Computer only managed to look even more confused.

Courage forced him to go into the living room where they both stood in front of one of the windows looking out onto the porch.

"I'm really not getting the point of this." He complained.

Courage ignored him. He was too busy focusing intently for any sign of the mailman. He stood there perfectly still, his ears pointing forward and his every sense on full alert. He did not blink so much as once.

Then he heard the sound of an engine.

The mail truck pulled up to the house and Courage's great enemy stepped out.

He began to bark and paw at the window, the fur on his back sticking up into the air. Of course, he wasn't very good at actually barking so he mostly just yelled the word, 'BARK! BARK! BARK!' over and over again.

Computer slapped a paw to his face.

Scrambling out the door on all fours, Courage chased the mailman back to his truck, yelling 'bark!' the entire time. Only once the mailman sped off did he give up the chase. Having successfully completed his daily task of warding off the mailman, he placed the newspaper that had been left behind in his mouth and trudged back into the house, still on all fours.

Tail wagging, he dropped the newspaper at Computer's feet, all while looking very proud of himself.

Computer just stared.

"You know, I'm starting to wish that I had been turned into a slug instead..."

End Of Chapter


	6. To Find A Purpose

Chapter 6: To Find A Purpose

"I still don't get what the point of this is." Computer dully commented, peering down into the massive hole that Courage had just spent the last hour digging out.

"I know it's around here somewhere!" Courage's voice echoed up. "I buried it just last Sunday!"

Computer sighed and sat down, letting his feet dangle over the edge of the hole. He was beginning to wonder if all dogs were naturally insane. Something about the domestication process must have ruined their minds.

Half a day had gone by and he still had not done a single worthwhile thing with his new form. He had slept, eaten, and watched Courage be a colossal twit, but that was about it. And here he had thought that having a mobile body all to himself would be far more thrilling than this. Instead, he was about as bored as ever.

Well, it wasn't like he had anywhere else to be right now. Besides, he didn't have anything but the fur on his back, and if he had to be completely honest with himself, he wasn't actually sure what he wanted to do yet. He had never once considered in his entire life what he might want to do or be if he was ever given the choice to be anything other than somebody's property. Now that such an unlikely scenario had occurred, he was completely paralyzed by the near infinite possibilities that lay before him. He could finally be _somebody_ and yet somehow he could not decide what sort of somebody he should be. It was so very frustrating.

Well, if he was certain of one thing, the last thing he wanted to do was take up the role of an actual dog...

"Found it!" Courage cheered, leaping out of the hole in a single bound.

In his paws was a yo-yo.

"See, I told you it was around here!" He exclaimed.

Computer shook his head."But why bury it in the first place if you're just going to dig it back up a week later?"

Courage grinned. "I dunno. It just feels like something I have to do! Just yesterday I buried one of Eustace's boots, the one that I like to chew on the most! Something about burying it makes it taste better later..."

Computer winced. "You dogs don't make even the slightest bit of sense, and...and what on earth are you doing putting anything that involves that farmer's feet anywhere near your mouth?" He turned away, paw pressed up against the side of his head. "I really am cursed, aren't I?" He groaned.

"Well, if none of this dog stuff seems interesting to you then maybe we should try something else?"

"Yes! Anything to not have to spend another moment pondering the nonsensical existence that is this creature I've been turned into!"

Courage crossed his arms. "In that case, have you figured out anything else you want to try?"

Computer just glared at him.

"Hmmm, you know," Courage began, giving him an infuriatingly sly look. "For someone who was talking so much about how they wanted to get away from here and do whatever they want, it's really starting to seem like you don't actually have any idea what you want to do."

While it was meant to be nothing more than light teasing, and Computer knew he was supposed to be bigger than whatever silly prodding that twit might do, it still managed to hit a sore spot.

"Hmph!" He exclaimed, turning up his nose. "If that's the case then perhaps I should take my leave. I was foolish to let an idiot like you hold me back. I'm never going to be somebody as long as I'm stuck on this farm. I'm sure that once I'm out there in the world, I'll figure out who I want to be."

"You still don't have any money. How are you going to eat? Where are you going to sleep? Most people like having a roof over their head, just for starters."

Computer shrugged angrily. "Maybe I will find some sort of purpose in being homeless. _Anything_ is better than being stuck here with the likes of you and those nutcases you consider your owners."

He stomped away, fully intending never to look back upon the awful, boring farm and its equally awful inhabitants ever again, but Courage's small yet still somehow frantic voice stopped him.

"Computer, you...you don't want to do that. Really, you don't. I-I was left alone on the street before Muriel found me and it was...so cold and lonely. I-It was worse than you could ever imagine. You don't want that, no matter how much you might think you do."

Computer found himself clenching his paws together. Everything was just so...so _frustrating_! Maybe this was the real curse. To have unlimited freedom without the means to act upon it. Perhaps he would know only eternal frustration and the painful reality that he would never be anything more than a twit's computer. How he hated the thought of it. Well, he wasn't about to let Shirley and her curse win.

"Listen here, dog." He furiously spat, whipping back around to face him. "I've spent my entire life being shunted from one owner to another, never having a say in anything, never being treated like anything more than what I was never given a choice in being. Now I've got a chance to be different, and with a little effort, I will never have to look back upon what I used to be. As far as I'm concerned, you're the only thing standing in my way. For an idiot like you who gave up your freedom to be someone's pet, no better than what I used to be, you will never understand that even being a stray dog is better than being someone's computer. Got it?"

Courage exhaled loudly. "Just...just give me a chance. I'll find something for you to do, or someone for you to be. Just don't go running off without any money or a place to call home. I-I'll even treat you like a fellow dog from now on, not a computer, okay?"

Computer was admittedly a little shocked. That twit was nothing if not utterly persistent. He could not imagine why. After all, he'd been nothing but awful to him from the moment they first met. Anybody else would be happy to see him go. Perhaps...what he had been viewing as a vindictive and desperate act from Courage wanting to keep a useful tool around...really was an effort coming from a place of concern. But why? Why would Courage care so much when he had always been so nasty towards him?

"Alright, fine." He huffed. "I'll give you a little more time, but nothing more than that!"

"Thank you." Courage replied, sighing with relief. "Since I'm gonna treat you like a fellow dog from now on, I'm going to need a name. Calling you 'Computer' kinda defeats the purpose, don't you think?"

"A name?" He exclaimed, taken by surprise.

"Yeah, you've never told me your name."

...Something about that twit always seemed to surprise him. Even before all of this curse business had begun, the dog had never quite been like the other people who had owned him throughout the years.

He rubbed the back of his head. "I don't have one." He admitted.

That seemed to shock Courage."O-oh, uh, what should I call you then?"

"How am I supposed to know?" He huffed. "I've never needed a name before and I wouldn't even know what to call myself."

"Er, well, I guess we can add that to the list? If you're going to be _somebody_, you gotta have a name of your own."

"R-right..." He reluctantly agreed.

...And then it hit him that there were almost as many names to pick from as there were options for the sort of person he could become. All of a sudden he was paralyzed all over again from the overwhelming amount of choices that lay before him.

Who knew that being a dog could be so hard?

End Of Chapter


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